I love words. But as I do with recipes, I get stuck in a rut with those I use most often. So I'm starting something new here on Grandma's Briefs. I want to try out new words, learn new words, use new words, and hope that you might, too. As is the case with getting in shape, breaking a habit, and going on a diet, it's always easier to accomplish such a goal when you a have a partner in the quest. So I'm recruiting you, dear readers of Grandma's Briefs, as my partners.

From now on, Wednesdays here will be New Word Wednesday. At least until I — or you — get bored with it. Or we decide our vocabularies, our brains, and our increased dendrites from learning have reached maximum capacity and we shall learn no more.

For New Word Wednesday, I will present a word. Maybe it'll be a new word most of us haven't heard of. Maybe it'll be an old word that I'd like to use more often. Maybe it'll be one you've e-mailed me to suggest for New Word Wednesday. More often than not, it'll be a wild, wacky, and relatively obscure word from my copy of The Gilded Tongue, a word I simply feel compelled to share. Together we'll try out the word, maybe incorporate it into our writing, speaking, reading. Maybe not. We'll see what happens...together.

So without further adieu, here is the first-ever New Word Wednesday offering:

DEIPNOSOPHY (dyp-NAHS-uh-fee): n. from deipnon (meal), probably of non-Indo-European origin and Greek sophistos (wise man, sophist): skillfull dinner conversation.

Oscar Wilde was so skilled at deipnosophy that he received many free dinners from people who loved to hear him talk.

—From "The Gilded Tongue: Overy Eloquent Words for Everyday Things" by Rod L. Evans, PH.D.

There you have it. Our first word for New Word Wednesdays. A word that I can honestly say I have never used before yet one that quite eloquently and adequately describes something I so very much am not.

Having kicked off that, do note that Wednesdays will continue to be Grilled Grandma day, as well. This week's Grilled Grandma will forever forward be known to me as Awesome Alice as she is one awesome G-Maw. Read Grilled Grandma: Alice to find out why I say that...and to learn who that precious little gal is to the right.

And, as always, if you know of a grandma you'd like added to the grilling schedule, please e-mail me her first name and e-mail address. We've always got room for more.

Today's question:

Who in your life would you name as the most skilled at deipnosophy?